55 Years Ago:
Mr. and Mrs. D. Cawston, assisted by Mr. and Mrs. W. Fleming and other members of the Forestry staff, held an open house to welcome the new forest ranger and his wife, Mr. and Mrs. John Ivens, who had recently moved to Birch Island from Kelowna. Besides a good number of local people attending, many came from Vavenby and Clearwater as well. A delicious turkey supper was served by the hostesses.
50 YEARS AGO:
Regional Director John Harwood had just returned from Victoria and arranged a public meeting in Clearwater Secondary School. The meeting was to acquaint everyone with the government’s decisions on the North Thompson hospital facility.
45 Years Ago:
A greased pig chase was to be held on the ice at the North Thompson Sportsplex. The large pig would be freed during the intermission between the second and third periods of the hockey game taking place that night between Wells Gray Motor Hotel and Vavenby. Apparently the person able to hold the animal for a set period of time was welcome to take it home.
40 Years Ago:
Clearwater’s Class “C” skiers travelled to Silver Star for the time trials for the Winter Games. Although they did well, four of the skiers were not selected among the 12 to participate in the games.
Congratulations went out to Tammy Bourelle, Sue Foster, Kevin Kershaw and Laurie Koblun for their good efforts.
While at Silver Star Lorie Bourelle, Sherry Bourelle and Steve Watts entered the Molstar events and each brought home a silver medal.
Sherry and Steve also participated in an international ski event to see how their skiing compared to world skiers.
Both received bronze medals for their style.
35 Years Ago:
“We’ve reached the edge of doom,” said Bob Craig, principal of Star Lake School.
He was speaking about the prospect of further cuts in education budgets at a recent monthly school board meeting.
Budget cuts dominated the discussion at the meeting. Superintendent W.M. Jory presented a summary of six staffing options for 1985-86.
30 Years Ago:
“He just threw any credible claim to impartiality out the window,” was one comment heard at the Environmental Appeal Board herbicide hearing held in Clearwater. The statement was made after appeal chairman, Ralph Patterson, offered to drink water containing the herbicide Vision at 10 times the strength at which it would be in a stream coming out of a block that had been sprayed. Patterson explained his actions, saying he got frustrated by what he considered a “red herring” of people being concerned about Vision getting into drinking water.
25 YEARS AGO:
Clearwater RCMP were still trying to determine the cause of a fire that destroyed the restaurant complex and shower house at 52 Ridge RV Park.
Both structures were fully engulfed in flames when the fire department arrived.
Although a complaint of alleged discrimination brought against the Board Of Trustees of School District #26 by former Superintendent of Schools, Don Handfield, was dismissed by the BC Human Rights Council, the hearing it required established a precedent recognizing alcoholism as a physical or mental disability.
He had been fired due to his conduct at an earlier board meeting.
20 YEARS AGO:
Blackpool would shortly get 10 new street lights to supplement the six already there.
The decision would go ahead as the result of a petition from about 30 residents, plus feedback from a public meeting held on TNRD issues the previous fall.
15 YEARS AGO:
The provincial government promised $50,000 to make temporary repairs to the bridge which left more than 100 people stranded due to ice damage. It would take up to one year to replace the 65-year-old wooden structure.
10 YEARS AGO:
Raft River Elementary School student Cedric Menard won the Legion’s Remembrance Day primary grade color poster contest at the Zone level.
Canfor-Vavenby might be shut down until markets improve but the sawmill’s unionized workers showed they were still involved in the community by donating $300 towards the cost of a defibrillator for the Sportsplex.
5 YEARS AGO:
At some point during the night, an overheight vehicle drove through the medical centre parking lot from the Sportsplex side and caught the telephone and fiberoptic cable, pulling them from their connection in the basement and causing significant damage to the medical centre.
1 YEAR AGO:
Wells Gray Community Forest Society made a donation to the Evergreen Acres expansion project that when complete will see the facility able to house a minimum of 24 more seniors.
The planned addition will have 16 one bedroom units and four two-bedroom units, all of which will be single story structures with ground floor entry.
